Ethereal Redemption Chapter 43

Also, size references for clothes and shoes in this are US based, as I know most of my readers are from the US. For those who aren’t, for clothes size 6 is a UK size 10 and size 14 is a UK size 18. Shoe wise, size 7 is a UK size 5.

The song for this chapter is beautiful, I suggest you youtube it! 🙂

GODRIC’S POV

It’s the way that you blush when you’re nervous.
It’s your ability to make me earn this.
I know that you’re tired, just let me sing you to sleep.
It’s about how you laugh out of pity, ’cause lets be honest I’m not really that funny.
I know that you’re shot, just let me sing you to sleep.
If you need anything, just the say the word, I mean anything.
Rest assured, if you start to doze, then I’ll tuck you in, and plant my lips where your necklaces close.
It’s those pills that you don’t need to take, medicating perfection, now that’s a mistake.
I know that you’re spent, just let me sing you to sleep.
It’s your finger and how I’m wrapped around it. It’s your grace and how it keeps me grounded.
I know that you’re weak, just let me sing you to sleep.
If you need anything, just the say the word, I mean anything.
Rest assured, if you start to doze, then I’ll tuck you in, and plant my lips where your necklaces close.
While you were sleeping I figured out everything, I was constructed for you, and you were molded for me.
Now I feel your name, coursing through my veins
You shine so bright it’s insane; you put the sun to shame.
~ Lullaby, Spill Canvas

Stepping into the elevator with Pam and Isabel I couldn’t help but be nervous and worried, for both my Ata and for Sookie. Neither of them had done anything like this before and the outcome was relatively unknown.

“They’ll be fine.” I heard Pam from my left as she tentatively placed a hand on my shoulder. It was strange to receive such a gesture from my cold-hearted GrandChilde. Obviously she could feel my worry through the bond I shared with Eric. I had a connection with Pam as she was of my bloodline, but it was very faint. My poor Childe was probably overwhelmed with my worry.

“I’m sorry, Pamela. I can’t help but worry for them.” I sighed, shrugging my shoulders. Pam took her hand back, letting it fall to her side.

“What’s going on with them, Godric?” Isabel asked quietly, knowing I would be able to hear her exceptionally well in the small space. She was clearly aware that the conversation was a very private one, so her low voice was used to ensure we weren’t overheard.

“Ata is opening up Sookie’s ability to hear our minds. Ata has been able to hear all creatures, including vampires, since she was a child. Sookie’s ability has been blocked however. She can only hear humans and Weres.” I explained, not knowing much more than that. I disliked being out of the loop but I would no doubt be asking a lot of questions upon returning to the penthouse later on.

“She can hear us?” Isabel asked me in shock, looking between Pam and I. I could see Pam roll her eyes and nod. Evidently she still wasn’t over the information herself.

“Yes, but she tries not to. I found out by accident actually.” I couldn’t help but smile at the memory. It had been my beloveds first time. I had claimed her as mine and I was the only man to have ever felt what it was like to be inside of her. I couldn’t help but feel rather smug at that thought.

As if sensing my train of thought Isabel’s laughter rang out in the small space as the elevator came to a stop on the ground floor. “I don’t want to know how you found out!” She shook her head, exiting alongside Pam. I followed closely behind.

We were greeted out front by a slender human boy. His heartbeat was skittering and his palms looked to be a little sweaty. It was rather amusing and I found myself wishing I could hear what was going on in his little head. “Miss Caesar’s limo is out front for your personal use this evening. Her chauffer will take you anywhere you wish to go.” He told his, his eyes flitting over the three of us. Finally his gaze settled on Isabel, apparently he’d decided that she was the least deadly of the three of us. He was right in some sense. I had spent over 1500 years killing for fun, Pam was fierce and aggressive and Eric often allowed her to torture poor souls who had wronged them in some way. Isabel, on the other hand, had killed very few in her time and was rather compassionate to humans. She’d once told me that she found them curious, like science projects.

“Thank you very much, young one.” I dismissed him politely, his gaze shifting from Isabel to myself. He gave a small nod before glancing to Pam. Bad move. She presented the boy a fanged smile and rapidly he gulped, stalking away quickly.

“Pamela, that wasn’t very nice.” I chuckled, shaking my head as she clicked her fangs back into place. Isabel was laughing along with me, trying to hide her laughter behind one of her perfectly manicured hands.

“I’m not very nice.” Pam pointed out, sashaying towards the front entrance. Isabel and I followed behind her. I took a moment before we stepped outside to observe the lobby. The last time I had witnessed it had been the night of the bombing, when it had been blown to smithereens. The walls and ceilings were all repaired, the holes in the marble flooring had been fixed, the glass in the windows and doors had been replaced and the number of customers had returned to its previous level. The water feature in the middle of the room was still incomplete, the statues that had been positioned in the center were still missing, but I assumed they would come with time. The number of people dressed up to the nines informed me that at least some of the casino was repaired and functional. At least my beloved was starting to rake in some of the money she had lost due to the bombing. I would have financed anything for her anyway. What was mine was now hers and I wanted to share everything with her. I’d believed it would take months for the work to be done, for the building to be back to its former glory, but it seemed the workers in Vegas worked quickly. Either that or Ata and her boys had thrown money at them to make the damage go away. Stepping outside I was able to see that the marble cover over the drop-off zone was slowly being rebuilt, the scaffolding in place to start the work.

Isabel, Pam and I all piled into the limo, but none of us had any idea as to where we would go shopping. I usually bought the same clothes for myself all the time – loose fitting cotton pants and t-shirts, occasionally a few button shirts and, of course, comfy sandals. Isabel had always shopped for herself and Pam was a serial shopper. I had no idea what to buy my beloved. I had simply taken on this task to relieve her of some of her stress. She would no doubt look beautiful in anything I could buy for her, but I wanted this to be special. I wanted the dress to be a statement to the rest of the vampire community that Ata was mine, that she deserved only the finest of things and that I was taking good care of her. For a moment we all sat in silence until the chauffer addressed us through the small glass window partition. “Where can I take the three of you this evening?” he asked, glancing in his rear-view mirror to look at us.

Unsure as to where to go, I exchanged glances with both Isabel and Pam. Pam, ever organized and perfect at taking control, was the one to answer. “We need to buy a beautiful dress, so where do you recommend?” she asked the man in an uncharacteristically sweet manner.

“Miss Caesar likes to shop at Nordstrom and Dillard’s, perhaps one of those could be good for you?” he suggested. I was well aware of the names of both of those stores, I shopped in them myself on occasion, and I also knew that the items they sold were not cheap. Good.

“Are they both in the same mall?” Isabel enquired, leaning forward in her seat to speak with our chauffer.

“Yes ma’am, both are located within Fashion Show Mall. There’s even a Macy’s and a Saks there.” He offered helpfully. His well meant words caused Pam to grin and for myself to groan. The more shops there were in the area, the more I would be dragged around them for hours on end, and all I really wanted to do was get this over with as quickly as possible so I could return to my beloved.

“We’ll go there.” Pam answered quickly, smirking towards Isabel and I as she lent back in her seat.

“I haven’t the first clue as to what Ata will want.” I confessed as the limo pulled away from the curb. “It needs to be backless however.” I expressed to my two female companions, glancing between them.

“Why backless?” Isabel frowned, turning her head to look out of the window at the Las Vegas skyline, lit up with thousands, probably even millions, of ostentatious and obnoxious light bulbs.

“Ata has insisted upon carrying my marks at the party and she has chosen the markings across my back. Someone called Toni is arriving tomorrow to place them temporarily upon her skin.” I explained, not really 100% sure as to the process or how long it would take. It was pointless for vampires to have tattoos done after they were turned, their bodies would heal instantaneously and the tattoo would vanish. It was only those that existed before being turned that remained. I had never taken an interest in the whole tattoo world anyway. I already had some of my own and I wasn’t interesting in having any others, not that there was much room left for any upon my body.

The only reason I had for liking them was that a few were a reminder of my human years. Those in my tribe had given me the marks upon my arms as an identity of sorts. Ata had been drawn to them, and thus me, the moment we had met. The warriors’ collar around my neck had grown on me over the years. It was difficult to hide and I found myself showing if off more around Ata, it seemed to be her favorite though I couldn’t comprehend why. The marks upon my back had remained hidden once I’d started to wear clothes properly. While the sea serpent was beautiful in its own way, the brand that sat beside it was a cruel reminder of my past, the torment and abuse I was forced to endure during my human years. I hated it, and the thought that Ata would carry it tomorrow evening didn’t sit well with me. I knew better than to argue with her though, she was as stubborn as a mule.

I couldn’t blame my beloved for the brand. It wasn’t her fault. Even though her father took me from my home in the first place I couldn’t find it in me to blame him, either. He’d probably been ordered by someone higher up in power to take over my tribe, to take some of us to Egypt. I was glad, in a way, that he had taken me to Egypt and that I had been taken for a slave. Although parted from my mother I had been given a new life with Ata, and then I’d been given my undead life. It felt strange now for both lives to cross over and join together, but I found myself smiling at the mere notion. If someone had of told me over 500 years ago that I would see my Ata again in this life, that she was real and alive, I would have drained them dry and tossed them aside like a ragdoll.

“Because Felipe is after her?” Isabel pieced the information together quickly. Her fast mind and sharp reflexes were some of the reasons I’d chosen her as a nest mate when I’d first moved to Dallas. She’d been an excellent second in command over the years and had kept Stan on a leash. Perhaps, once all of this was over and I had taken my beloved to all of the places in the world that she wished to holiday in, we would return to Dallas. I’d like to spend some more time with Isabel, see how the repair of the nest had gone, wander the streets once again, show Ata where I had spent the past couple of hundred years.

“You should give her your blood before she leaves and fuck her too, that way she’ll utterly reek of you.” Pam suggested, causing Isabel to laugh and for me to roll my eyes. Pam was, and forever would be, the blunt one of my bloodline. It was one of the qualities Eric had told me had enticed him into turning her.

“I prefer to call it ‘making love’ if you will.” I responded, suppressing my smile. I knew that Pam had never ‘made love’ in her life; she was a feed and fuck kind of girl.

As predicted Pam blanched at my words and, surprisingly, so did Isabel. Although she had loved Hugo it was apparent that the time they had spent together in bed had not been overly important to her, nor meant as much. She still held such a high amount of adoration and love for her Maker, the French man who was her lover in her human years, and I could only guess that no one would ever take that place in her heart. I could sympathize; Ata was the only one for me.

“You must be loosing your marbles in your old age.” Pam muttered under her breath, shaking her head as she glanced out of the window.

We fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, watching the rows of hotels and casino’s whizzing past the windows, the other cars whizzing along on their journeys. “Oh I almost forgot!” Isabel’s outburst broke through the silence as she started to fish through her pant pockets. After a moment of hunting she produced the black box I had asked her to bring with her. I felt like a child at Christmas as I clapped eyes on the box. Straightaway I held my hand out, begging for it. Isabel dutifully placed it on the palm of my hand.

Pam had turned around at Isabel’s little outburst, an eyebrow raised in question. “What’s in the box?” she all but demanded, tipping her head to the side in curiosity.

I allowed myself an indulgent smile as I opened the lid, making sure to hide the contents from their roving eyes. “A little piece of history, Pamela. It’s a little piece of history.” I answered in a murmur, still unable to take my eyes off of the item in the box. Before either woman could question me further I snapped the lid shut, tucking my piece of treasure into the pocket of my pants for later as the limo slowed to a stop outside the mall. Promptly the chauffer was by the door, opening it for us all and even offering his hand out for Pam and Isabel. Isabel took it graciously and climbed out of the vehicle, Pam on the other hand ignored him. I offered him both a thankful and an apologetic look as I exited.

“I’ll be waiting in the valet area for you. Enjoy your shopping.” He bowed lowly before returning to the drivers’ side, pulling away from the curb to go and park. Catching up to both Pam and Isabel, who had wandered ahead of me, I took a moment to admire the building. The architecture was very strange to say the least. The building was situated on either side of the strip, so one had to take an escalator up and then cross over a covered bridge in order to reach the other half of the shops. A huge disk like monstrosity sat atop the west side of the building, the side we had pulled up to. For the building housing Macy’s, Saks, Nordstrom and Dillard’s I was rather surprised by the strange décor that lacked any real expense or showed any luxury. But then, I surmised, that was Vegas all over. The city was known to be horrendously tacky, from the cringe worthy little wedding chapels lining the streets to the gaudy bright lights on every building. As a creature of the night I was unable to witness the city in the day, so I was subjected to the tackiness of it all. Of course I excluded my beloveds home and business from the list of tacky venues. Caesar’s Palace looked incredible when it was lit up at night. It was tasteful.

“I say we get your little fairies dress and shoes and whatever else she might need first, yes?” Isabel suggested, already heading off in the direction of Dillard’s with Pam hot on her heels. I could do nothing but agree. I was out numbered after all and my advanced age and strength would not sway the women as far as shopping was concerned. The interior of the mall was similar to the exterior. Everything was bare and minimal, shiny floors and two levels of stores accessed by elevators. What was wrong with stairs? Humans were far too lazy these days. From the rafters of the building hung hundreds of different strobe lights. I recognized them as the sort used during runway performances, or on the stage, which was probably why they were relevant to the building. None of them were turned on though and the black monstrosities just looked horrendous. Why on earth would my beloved shop here?

With determination Pam and Isabel led me into Dillard’s, moving through the crowds of people as if they owned the place. This was there element. Surrounded by racks and rails of female clothing, not to mention hundreds of women I felt, for once in my life, way out of my comfort zone. “Granddaddy, over here!” Pam hollered over a few rails, causing me to groan in annoyance and embarrassment as a few women turned in my direction to give me a quizzical glance. A couple of hundreds years back I would have snapped down my fangs and growled at them for the looks they were giving me, but I took it all on the chin and strode right on past them, towards the two vampire women who were sniggering.

In a flourish of her arms Isabel presented the dress section of the store and I felt very overwhelmed. There had to be hundreds of dresses here and I didn’t have the time to go through them all. I wanted to get Ata’s outfit and go. As if sensing our need a young boy who looked to be about 23 came over to us. “Good evening, may I help you?” he enquired, seemingly not caring that he was addressing three vampires. It was either that or he was blissfully unaware.

“My companion’s human needs a dress.” Pam responded with a flick of her hand in my direction, leveling the young man with an icy stare.

I was annoyed by Pam’s words so decided to correct her. I didn’t want the boy to think I was buying a dress for a pet or a whore. My Ata was neither of those things. “My girlfriend,” I tested the word out for the first time, shooting daggers at Pam before returning my attention to the boy, “is attending a very important formal party tomorrow night and therefore needs a dress for it. It must be backless though.” I informed the young man who had done nothing but smile since he had met us, even through Pam’s little disrespectful comment.

“Could you give me a brief description of your Mrs. please? Some colours could wash her out and that would be a disaster.” The boy chuckled, his smile never faltering. I had to hand it to him that he was completely polite and there was no hint of fear from him. I could see Isabel, from the corner of my eye, checking him out. He was barely legal and, judging by his outfit, perfectly groomed hair and knowledge of fashion he was also more interested in his own gender. The thought of her trying to seduce him made me chuckle inside.

“Around 5’4, slender build, blonde hair and blue eyes.” I offered. “Oh and she’s a size 6.” I added as an afterthought, remembering that her size would be important too. Although not too fussed with size myself, and knowing full well it didn’t affect us as much as it did humans as we stayed the size we were upon our turning, I had always found the sight of the gaunt and boney models in the magazines and on the television screens to be disgusting. They were a bad influence for the teacup humans of today. They all aspired to be stick thin with bones sticking out at strange angles, all the while thinking it was beautiful when, in my opinion, it wasn’t. There was nothing wrong with a woman having curves, heck in my human days curves had been all the rage! There was nothing quite like a curvaceous woman, be them a size 6 or a 14.

The thought of curves propelled me back in time for a moment, back to when I had been giving my Ata swimming lessons in the Nile. We had been teenagers at the time, and our bodies were starting to fill out. Although slender she had all these beautiful, soft curves that I found myself touching at every opportunity, wanting to have my hands on her smooth skin as much as possible. In today’s society our naked frolicking during our teenage years would be frowned upon, but back in our time there was no such morals about nudity. Marriage almost always occurred after sexual adulthood and the average age that the girls entered puberty was 12 to 13, and around 14 for the boys. Taking a tumble in the sheets at a young age, and seeing one another nude, was almost always a given. It was strange how times had changed.

Given the nature of the store the young boy didn’t even bother to ask how much I wanted to spend. Instead he gave a nod, making a mental note of my description before leading us over to a plush seating area. “If you would like to take a seat, my colleague here will get you anything you need.” He gestured towards a woman currently tending to a few other seated customers. “I’ll go and scour the rails for some appropriate dresses for you.” He gave a small bow before disappearing off into the sea of clothing.

“I should shop in places like this more often.” I heard Isabel mutter under her breath as the boy’s colleague came over to us.

“Good evening. Can I get anything for you?” she offered with a smile that could rival the boys. Clearly they were both after employee of the month.

“Are you on the menu?” Pam asked, leaning forward in her seat and fluttering her eyelashes at the poor woman.

Obviously having figured it out, the young lady visibly paled before nervously laughing it off. “I’m afraid not Ma’am, we carry Tru Blood if you’d be interested in one of those though?” she responded with her ever polite smile. It was starting to unnerve me. The thought of drinking Tru Blood repulsed me, especially considering my beloved was the only one I would drink from, but the stuff was synthetic so I guess that made it acceptable.

“We’ll have one each, thank you.” I politely dismissed her as the young boy came scuttling back to us, pushing along a dress rail as he went. He navigated it through all the other rails and the shoppers expertly, clearly cut out for the job.

The boy started at the front of the rail and worked his way through. Every dress he was showing us was beautiful in its own right but none of them seemed to be what I was looking for. I had this gut feeling that I would know the right dress for my beloved the moment I clapped eyes on it, and none of these were doing anything for me. The woman had returned with Tru Blood for Isabel, Pam and I and we sat drinking them as the boy showed us all of his finds. I could see, as we rebuffed each and every dress for Ata, that his hope of finding the perfect dress for us was slowly decreasing. I felt bad for him. He’d been so excited to help us and we weren’t making his job any easier. I wanted the perfect dress for Ata though, only the very best. With it being Vegas most of the dresses were glitzy to the point where they looked cheap, and it infuriated me that I was unable to find one perfect dress. While we’d been shown some of the dresses Pam and Isabel had expressed an interest in a few. They were currently sat on another rail, waiting to be purchased.

With the rail completed, and with nothing having taken our fancy, the boy handed the rail to another of his colleagues, “I’ll go and have another search for you. I’m sure we have something here you’ll love.” He all but begged us to stay, disappearing off back into the racks of clothing.

Sighing, I scratched my head. It had been over an hour now and we hadn’t found anything. “We’ll find her something.” Pam stated, offering me a small reassuring smile. I didn’t want to let Ata down. I wanted to find something beautiful and unique for her, to match her, but it was proving very difficult.

We waited in silence until the young boy returned, this time his rail contained very few dresses however they weren’t as showy as the ones before, they were far more elegant. I felt my hope rising.

First he produced a golden dress, featuring a ruched bust with a low V-neckline adorned with a sparkling jewel trim at the empire waist. It had jewel accented wide set shoulder straps, a halter top and the open back I was after. The slim A-line floor length skirt had a sweep train. I knew right away that it wasn’t the dress, but I still wanted it for Ata anyway. Her blonde hair and beautiful eyes would go so well with the golden coloring. “I like it, could you set it to one side please?” I asked the boy, whose face positively lit up at my comment. With a pleased nod he put it to one side before he produced the next dress.

I disliked his next choice, and the several others that followed, but eventually he reached one that captured my attention. It still wasn’t the dress but the moment I saw it I knew my Ata should have it. “It reminds me of her.” Pam murmured lowly as Isabel nodded in agreement. It too reminded me of Ata and of Egypt, of the human life I shared with my beloved, and I knew I had to have it. It was ankle length, made of white fabric and decorated with golden detail. The front of the dress boasted a plunging neckline and the golden detail crossed at the front, looping around the form fitting dress to the back, where it crisscrossed once again between the shoulder blades before thinning out into straps over the shoulders. It was backless and hugged the lower back, another broad golden detailed fabric accentuating the wearers bottom. “I want that one too, please.” I informed the boy who popped it to one side with the golden dress.

The moment he pulled the next dress from the rail Isabel and Pam gasped, and I couldn’t help but gawk at the beautiful outfit. “That’s the one.” I stated quietly, allowing my eyes to wander over the black dress before me. It was perfect, utterly perfect. My Ata would look incredible in it that was for sure.

“It’s 100% silk, an Elie Saab.” The young boy informed us all, looking rather proud with himself. He had every right too. The dress was perfect. It oozed old Hollywood glamour with a curve accentuating balconette bust and full sequin upper, which trickled down into a soft chiffon hem and fishtail train. The raw chiffon detail created texture and the large keyhole back added the perfect finishing touch.

“She’ll love it, thank you.” I thanked the boy as he added it to the pile of dresses we had accumulated. Each of us took our turns paying, I even left a substantial tip for the young boy, and soon we were heading out of Dillard’s.

“Ata needs shoes.” Isabel started in the direction of Nordstrom, and once again I followed, “I want to buy her a pretty pair of matching shoes.” She continued as we entered the store.

Why would Isabel want to buy Ata a pair of shoes to go with her new dress? The hardly knew one another! They weren’t old pals or anything, and they had no history together. As if she was aware of my question, which Isabel probably was given the years she had spent in my company, she answered me. “I don’t think I’ve seen you smile as much, or get as worked up over something so simple as buying a dress. Plus, you’re kind of cute together.” She stated, flitting through the departments of the store, aiming for the shoe section. Pam’s snigger caused me to glare at her and she held her free hand up, the one not clutching her vast array of shopping bags, in a sign of submission.

“I’m over 2000 years old, Isabel. I am not cute.” I stated adamantly as I joined her in the shoe department, feeling once again overwhelmed with the vast array of choices on offer. I only owned several pairs of sandals and the odd pair of formal shoes for black tie events.

“Keep telling yourself that, my dear friend.” The Spanish vampiress teased me as she started picking up several different shoes, examining them each in turn. “What size is she?”

Deciding to ignore her jab about being cute I instead took an interest in the shoes being examined. I wasn’t paying for them and therefore my say didn’t really matter, but I was still mighty curious. “She’s a size 7.” I offered, picking up a few pairs myself to give them a look over.

“They need to be black, and have killer heels on them.” Pam declared, plucking a pair of Prada open toe platform pump’s from the stand. They were pretty yes, but the 5″ heel with a 1″ platform looked somewhat scary. The high back on them would most likely rub too; especially considering the heel looked nothing more than the width of a needle. I didn’t want Ata to fall over and break her neck!

“I like these.” Isabel suddenly declared, holding up a pair of black Jimmy Choo ‘Crown’ pumps. They had a 4¾” heel with a 1″ platform. The back on them was lower though, and the peep toe section a little narrower in order to keep her feet in place. The thought of the peep toe reminded of the treatment women had on their feet. A manicure wasn’t it? No no, that was their hands. Pedicures! That was it. I’d have to book Ata in for one tomorrow afternoon, if this Toni wasn’t able to do them that were.

“Ata was wearing Choo’s the other day. Good choice.” Pam flashed Isabel a grin and I groaned internally. If they were to become gal pals and go shopping together then no ones credit cards would be safe!

Together we trudged to the counter where Isabel paid for the shoes. It was a strange feeling, to watch someone else pay for things my Ata would be wearing, but at the same time I appreciated the gesture. Never again would my beloved have to buy anything with her own money. I had stocks, shares, and businesses all over the globe that provided a rather healthy income for me, and now subsequently my bonded.

“Ata will need some jewelry.” Isabel abruptly declared as we left Nordstrom.

“I have that covered, don’t worry about it.” Pam responded with a flick of her wrist.

Isabel and I both stopped walking, staring at Pam with slack jaws and wide eyes. “You bought something for Ata? I thought you couldn’t stand her?” I asked in shock, not quite sure I’d heard the cold-hearted Pamela right.

With a sigh Pam stopped, twirling around to face us. “I went shopping with Riei and Oeri the other night. I wanted to get her something pretty and functional. I don’t adore her but, for a breather, she’s alright.” Pam shrugged, turning around and carrying on her way. You could have knocked both Isabel and I down with a feather. Pam actually did care, for both Sookie and Ata! Although she hadn’t outright said it her words and her actions could be interpreted to mean as much. Pam showed her affections for someone by buying him or her things while normal women showed their affections for people by telling them so. But then again, Pam had never been normal.

For another two hours we shopped. Isabel and Pam tried on everything they could get their perfectly manicured hands on. It was like my own personal brand of torture. I wanted to get back to Eric, Sookie and Ata as fast as possible, ensure they were all okay, and yet here I was in Saks watching my two female vampire companions play dress-up. Finally however, with purchases in tow, we made our way back to the limo where the chauffer drove us home.

The drop-off zone was a flurry of activity at the late hour. Most people were leaving the casino, clambering into their luxurious sports cars in their designer couture. It was such a far cry from Dallas. The three of us piled into the elevator, ensuring none of our shopping ended up being crushed in the doors. A bellhop had offered to take our bags up for us but we weren’t having any of it. What was the point in having inhumane strength if you couldn’t put it to good use?

The penthouse was silent when we arrived, and I felt somewhat uncomfortable. The room should have been full of noise, of laughter, of vampires and fairies. Instead we were greeted with Egor, Agmund and Oscar, all three of them sat on the sofas together. Oscar and Egor were playing chess while Agmund watched. It was Oscar’s turn and the poor boy had very few pieces and moves left.

“I can take your bags for you if you want, put them in your rooms. We’ve been sat here doing nothing ever since they went up.” Agmund offered, rising to his feet.

I was about to give in and let him take them from me, knowing I wanted to get to Ata and my Childe as soon as possible, but Isabel stepped in. “I’ll do it, it’s okay. You two go up and check on them.” She decided, placing her own bags on the floor to take the ones Pam and I were holding. “Would you be able to show me my room afterwards, please? I’d like to put all my purchases away and freshen up before sunrise.” She directed her question to Agmund, who offered her a large smile and a nod of his head.

“I would love to, Miss.”

Isabel’s girlish giggle was a shock, before she batted her hand in the air towards Agmund, “Oh shush, it’s Isabel.”

With a flash Agmund had taken her hand, placing a kiss to the back of it. “Agmund, at your service.” He offered her another grin and I swore I could see Isabel swaying on the spot.

“Thank you for accompanying us this evening, Isabel. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” I bid her farewell, moving to the bookcase, Pam at my side after she too had said her goodnights to Isabel. “Oh Oscar, knight to E6.” I winked at the baby vamp over my shoulder as Pam and I shifted the bookcase and took to the stairs.

“That’s cheating!” I heard Egor yell out to me as I climbed the stairs, but his laughter expressed that he wasn’t angry at all.

Moments before my knuckles brushed against the door I could hear snarling on the other side and, as I cracked the door open, I witnessed my Childe riled up. He was lost in his anger, his possessive nature. I took stock of Ata’s boys, all of who were stood in a circle holding hands with Ata, their own fangs down, snarling in my direction until they realized whom I was. “It’s only Pam and I, my Childe.” I softly informed Eric, snapping him out of his haze. He stood aside and allowed us into the room before he stalked back to the circle, which he started to pace around.

Now that Pam and I were in the room I took in the situation. Sookie was flat on her back on a table in the middle of a salt circle that had a salt pentagram inside of it. There were candles at each point of the pentagram and each of Ata’s boys stood at one. Ata herself stood before the yellow one, dressed in some of my clothes. It made me smile to see her dressed in my comfy clothing. It was a simple thing really, but it made me indescribably happy. The room was silent, both Sookie and Ata had their eyes closed. I could practically feel Ata’s concentration and Sookie’s relaxation. The room was somewhat dark, the lit candles dotted around being the only source of light. There were blackout curtains and other light stopping measures up over the windows. A cool box sat to one side and it didn’t take a genius to know that it contained blood.

“Eric, how long have you doing that?” Pam interrupted the silence, quirking an eyebrow as she took in the sight before her.

Eric paused in his stride, obviously referring to his internal body clock. It had taken me an absolute age to teach him how to do that. He’d always relied on the position of the sun, the moon and the stars to navigate with, to tell him of the time. Being a vampire meant using the sun was out of the question, and with the tilting of the earth every so often the stars and moons couldn’t always be trusted. “Two hours.” He stated in surprise, not realizing how long he had been pacing for. They had been at this the whole time?

“Did you enjoy your shopping?” He asked us though it was obvious he didn’t care for the answer. He just wanted a moment of distraction.

“Yes, Godric bought Ata a beautiful dress and Isabel bought her a pair of matching shoes.” Pam responded, directing a small smile towards me. Pam hadn’t mentioned that she had bought Ata some jewelry so I didn’t mention it. She probably wanted it to be a surprise for my bonded. Pam had always been a fan of surprises, much to Eric’s chagrin over the years.

Eric continued to prowl the circle while Pam and I watched him curiously. He was like a caged animal, like he’d snap at any moment. I took the opportunity to check my bond with Ata. It was shut down a little but her life force was still thumping away inside of me. A sense of serenity overcame me as I checked in on it, and I knew immediately that Ata had sent me the emotion to quell my curiosity.

Unexpectedly my bond with my beloved was ripped open and a searing pain shot through it, causing me to cry out lowly just as Ata’s piercing scream overtook the silence. Milliseconds later her boys were howling out with her, obviously feeling her pain through their strong bonds. Hurrying to her side I scoured her body for the source of her pain. I didn’t have to wait long before the fabric over the left side of her torso started to turn crimson, the smell of her blood permeating the air.

Pam’s fangs were down, her eyes hazing over with blood lust. “Pamela! As your Maker I command you not to bite her!” Eric ordered quickly, whooshing to my side. Pam sank backwards until she was flat against the wall, putting as much room between herself and Ata as possible.

“We can’t break the circle.” Ari rasped, watching with burning concern and sadness as Ata’s side continued to bleed. Without thinking twice I ripped the shirt from my bonded’s body, not caring that it was my own. Clothes were easily replaceable but my Ata was not. I took a second to take in the wound – a deep gash all the way down her side, bleeding profusely. It looked like it had been inflicted with the use of a knife, but I had no idea how or why.

Dropping to my knees my tongue flicked out, licking up the blood running down Ata’s side. I could sense Eric holding himself back and I found that his show of respect touched me. Over the years he had shown me respect simply because I was his Maker, and his elder, but to know he was showing Ata and I respect now was rather different.

Ata’s whimper was all it took for him to be right by my side, helping to clean my bonded. Her sob was like a blade to my gut. It was a sound she should never make unless it was made in pleasure with her beneath me, begging me to take her harder. Shaking my head to stop myself from becoming aroused, my eyes turned to my Childe and I gave him a small nod, giving him permission to help. He wasted no time in sealing up the wound, allowing his saliva to help stitch it back together. I could tell that some of Ata’s blood had entered his system when he groaned. Her current state left her unable to suppress her scent and toxicity of her blood. I could see him straining to control himself and sent a wave of pride and strength through our bond, wanting him to know I appreciated this. Soon we were working together to knit the wound back together and my level of panic and fear was diminishing.

“I’ll need to give her my blood when this is over.” I remarked once we’d finished healing the exterior wound. “She lost a bit of blood. I don’t want it to have a negative impact on her.” I added quietly, my cold hands moving to the area where she’d just been injured, checking over her freshly healed skin. I hoped my cool skin would help with the pain.

“What caused that?” Eric demanded, looking to each of Ata’s boys in turn. He asked the question that had been at the forefront of my mind. We’d all been in the room and no one had touched her, yet she had been injured.

All of them shrugged, looking to Ata with concern. Her eyes were still screwed shut in concentration and it was difficult to read anything from her. “We don’t know, but we can find out when she snaps out of this.” Khai murmured quietly. Still holding her hand he rubbed his thumb over the back of it in a reassuring gesture. I didn’t miss it. The love they held for my bonded was beautiful and I was pleased she’d had a support system over the 2000 years she had been without me. At first I had been jealous of their connection, but now I was grateful for it.

Another hour of silence followed. I positioned myself behind my bonded, wrapping my arms around her waist to hold her to me, to remind myself that she was okay. The bond had partially closed once again and I didn’t like it at all. Resting my chin on her shoulder I pushed all of my love for Ata through our bond, wanting her to know I was there to support her, that I would love her no matter what. Pam had approached us now that there was no free flowing fae blood in the room, and the look of concern on her features amused both Eric and I. It seemed our fae bonded’s were softening up our Ice Queen, something which she probably resented and would never admit out loud. It was a wonderful sight though, to see her embracing a few more emotions other than just lust and anger.

“Sunrise is in thirty minutes, Pam. Please go rest.” Eric ordered her gently. Although Pam was stronger than most, another reason why my Eric had turned her, she was still unable to fight the pull of the sun.

“I don’t want to leave, not until I know they’re both okay.” She whispered while she took another cautious step towards the circle. Pam’s eyes flickered from Sookie to Ata and, for a brief moment, they landed on Ari. The care in her voice made Eric smile and slowly he approached her, pulling her into his chest for a hug.

“They’ll be fine, I promise you. Please go to rest Pam, I can’t risk you being exposed to any sunlight.” He murmured gently as her arms encircled his waist. He dropped a kiss to the crown of her head. I could understand his predicament. While having Pam around would help soothe him it would be a disaster if she were to be caught up in the sunlight. She had only recently celebrated her 100th birthday, so the sun would burn her severely the moment she stepped in its rays.

“If anything happens to them while I’m not here I’ll kick your ass.” She muttered against Eric’s chest, pulling back to look up at him with a small smile. Pulling back from his embrace she gave me a nod of goodnight, which I returned. Giving our two fae women, and Ari, one last lingering look Pam disappeared down the stairs to seek shelter.

“Blood?” Eric grabbed a few bags from the side, carrying them back over to me. “I have a feeling we might be up past sunrise.” He sighed, offering a bag out to me.

Untangling myself rather reluctantly from Ata I took a bag, scrunching my nose up at it. “The thought of taking sustenance from anyone else, even an anonymous donor, doesn’t sit right with.” I told him flatly, looking up from the bag to Eric, and then back to the bag again. I had gone years without feeding purely because I had grown to find the act disgusting and cannibalistic. I’d grown to hate what I had become, to resent it. All of the slaughtering and murdering, all of the needless bloodshed I’d caused over my 2000 years on this earth. I wanted to repent for my sins and I’d believed, by refusing to feed, that I would do just that. When Ata had offered me her neck, her blood, the night we had found one another again, I’d battled with myself. I wanted to punish myself, to starve myself of the one liquid I had greedily abused over the years, but the thought of taking from my beloved, the trust she had shown me, had swayed me. My beliefs had changed drastically then. I would feed in order to be strong – strong enough to protect my beloved and my little family. I would find other ways to repent, other ways to redeem myself. Of course the moment I’d realized Ata was my redemption, that doing right by her would be the most unselfish thing on the planet, I had thrown aside all my other plans of redemption and repenting. Ata needed me and truth be told, I needed her too.

“I don’t like the idea either. Ata mentioned it being weak fae blood so that we’d be able to stay up past dawn and, should any sunlight make its way into the room, we’d be able to survive it.” Eric explained, dropping fang and sinking them into the bag. I followed suit and together we drained down several bags. It felt strange to feed alongside my Childe once again. The last time we had fed together had been on a young redhead when we had been in the SS. It had been far too long for my liking. Perhaps, once everything was over with and we were free from danger, we would be able to sit down at the table like a normal family for dinner. The thought alone caused me to smile and I had to stifle my laugh. As Ata had so eloquently put it the night we had found one another again, none of us would ever be normal.

With the bags emptied I instinctively checked my internal body clock as Eric did the same. It was half an hour past sunrise. The blood had stopped me from feeling the pull of the sun and the blackout curtains and other light proofing methods were holding back the harmful UV rays. Without warning Eric was gasping, doubled over on the floor. Hastily I placed a hand on his shoulder and hauled him upright before I pushed vast quantities of strength through our bond. If this had of been any other situation I may have laughed, given my young appearance and small height it should have been impossible for me to lift Eric up, but being an older vampire had its perks.

Sookie’s screams broke through the silence and Eric promptly collapsed to his knees, crumbling to the floor. I moved down with him, tearing into my wrist and offering my blood to him. It would provide him with the strength he would need to help Sookie. At once he lent forward, pulling my wrist to his mouth before he started to take in my life force. I smoothed his hair back from his face as he fed, in the exact same manner as I’d done the night he had risen as a vampire for the first time.

For three-quarters of an hour the pain continued. Eric had finished taking from me after five minutes, sparing me some blood for Ata. Finally Sookie’s cries were silenced and Ata’s eyes snapped open. I felt our bond erupt back into life and she gasped for breath, her hands falling from her boys as she crumbled to her knees. Immediately I was at her side, wrapping my arms around her, offering her strength and support. “Thank you Bes for joining me in this ritual. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.” I heard her whisper.

She had summoned Bes for the ritual? That surprised me.

Bes was a dwarf god during the Egyptian time. He was a complex being, naturally, who was both a deity and a demonic fighter. He was a God of war, yet he was also a patron of childbirth and the home. He was often associated with sexuality, humor, music and dancing. Although he’d began as a protector of the Pharaoh, he became very popular with everyday Egyptian people because he protected women and children above all others. If I could remember correctly then he was one of the most popular Gods of ancient Egypt. He’d often been depicted on household items such as furniture, mirrors and cosmetics containers, as well as magical wands and knives. He’d often been depicted on knives in the hope that this would extend his protection to the bearer of the blade. I’d seen his image on numerous pieces of furniture my Master had owned. Over time he came to be seen as the champion of everything good and the enemy of everything evil. The people described him as a demon, but he was not considered to be evil. On the contrary he was actually a supporter of Re, who protected him from his enemies.

I could vividly remember that he was particularly protective of women and children and was often depicted with the young Horus, protecting him as he matured. I could see now why Ata had called for him during the ritual. She wanted her cousin protected and Bes could do just that. As a result of his protection of women he soon became a God of childbirth. It was thought that he could scare off any evil spirits lurking around the birthing chamber by dancing, shouting and shaking his rattle. If the mother was experiencing a difficult birth a statue of Bes was placed near her head, and his assistance was invoked on her behalf. Rather sweetly, Bes remained at the child’s side after birth to protect and entertain them. It was said that if a baby laughed or smiled for no reason it was because Bes was pulling funny faces.

The thought alone caused me to remember the birth of Ata’s half-siblings, the twins Cleopatra had with Marc Anthony. I could remember the hurt and betrayal I had witnessed on Ata’s features when she had been told that the female child had been named after her mother. It was a great gift, back then, for a child to be named after one of their parents. Ata hadn’t been gifted with her mothers name; the only thing she carried was her father’s surname. Ata had thrown a huge tantrum the moment she’d learnt of the girls’ name. She’d marched into her mothers chamber and yelled at her using rather colorful language I hadn’t believed my Ata to have any knowledge of. She’d despised Marc Anthony from the start; especially considering her father had been Marc’s mother’s cousin. Her mothers’ relationship with him had caused the cracks in their relationship to appear. My Ata had always loved her father dearly, she’d been utterly loyal and devoted to him, so to know her mother had married someone else so quickly, a relative of her fathers to boot, had stung.

Racking my brain I remembered that Bes also drove away the evil spirits who caused accidents and created mischief. Many Egyptians placed a statue of Bes near the door of their house to protect them from mishap. My Master had one by the door to his resting room, though I found it ironic now. He was the one creating the ‘mischief’ by being a vampire, and that’s without mentioning the ‘accident’ of my turning.

Shakily Ata rose to her feet, a death grip on me as I supported her small weight. Looking to Eric she nodded. My Childe needed no other encouragement and vamped to Sookie’s side, running his hands all over her to make sure she was okay.

“She’s fine. She’ll need water though.” Ata rasped, picking up the small glass of water that had been on the table with the candles. Opening Sookie’s mouth Ata started to pour the water in, her hands shaky. Sensing she would need some help Eric started to massage Sookie’s throat, encouraging her to swallow. Once all the liquid was gone, he placed his arms under Sookie to lift her from the bed, but he was joined by Ata’s boys’ moments later.

“Let us help, please, you’ve been taking the brunt of her pain.” Oeri murmured and Eric could do nothing but nod. I could tell through our bond he was feeling mighty possessive of Sookie, and I couldn’t blame him given how I was feeling towards Ata right now, but he graciously accepted their help.

“She needs to rest, to bed with her.” Ata whispered. She dropped her head forward, pressing a kiss to Sookie’s forehead before she pulled back. Gradually we shuffled our way over to the door, not wanting to jolt Sookie. Ata was still rather unsteady on her feet at the moment too. Deciding that she didn’t have to walk, I placed my arms under her knees and around her back, scooping her up bridal style to carry her down the stairs. Upon entering the living area, the windows were still blacked over and Egor and Agmund were still awake. Oscar had clearly gone to rest, as his young age wouldn’t allow him to stay up past sunrise.

“How is she?” Agmund asked, taking a few cautious steps towards us.

“She’ll be fine when she wakes, her throat might be a bit scratchy from shouting out all evening, but other than that she should be okay.” Ata responded, glancing over her shoulder to her cousin.

“Are you okay?” Egor asked, taking in Ata’s lack of shirt and the faint scar across her side. We’d been able to knit the wound back together again but the scar would remain until my blood was in her system.

“Just a scratch. I’m fine.” She reassured him, lifting a hand to pat him tenderly on the cheek. “Go to rest, I’ll see you this evening.” She ordered. Both blonde vampires bowed to Ata before disappearing off to their room.

Carrying on through the penthouse, everyone entered the room Eric and Sookie were staying in. The light tight shutters had already covered the windows for the day. Carefully they placed Sookie down on the bed. Removing their arms, Ata’s boys bade us all goodnight before they disappeared off to rest for the day.

Ata seemed to linger, checking over her cousin one last time before she slinked out of the room with me, closing the door behind us. Together we walked to our own bedroom, my arm wrapped around Ata’s waist for support. “I’m fine.” She croaked as we entered the room.

“You’re not, my darling. You’re tired and weak.” I murmured gently, pressing a kiss to her temple as I sat her down on the bed. Moving to the wardrobe I removed a black silk nightie, returning to the bedroom where I undressed my bonded. Her skin was ghostly pale, rivaling even that of vampires, and her black nightie did nothing but make it worse. Bags had formed under her eyes due to her lack of sleep.

“Could you get me a glass of water, please? What does my dress look like?” she asked me quietly. I went to the bathroom, returning with a glass of water for her. I would do anything she asked of me, no questions. If possible I would even go and get the moon for her, and hand it to her on a stick. Supplying Ata with her water I sat down behind her on the bed, grabbing her hairbrush from the nightstand. As she sipped her water I brushed the tangles from her blonde locks.

“It’s beautiful, but not as beautiful as you.” I complimented, feeling her love through the bond. My advanced hearing picked up the slight stutter to her heartbeat. Knowing that my words made her feel special, caused such a reaction from within her, made me smile.

“Can you describe it to me, please?” She asked gently as she finished off her water. Although all the tangles were gone from her hair I continued to brush it, remembering from our human years how much she had loved such a simple act. Sometimes, when Ata had managed to get me into the palace without anyone seeing, I would sit and brush her hair for hours while we talked about anything and everything. I loved the feel of the soft tendrils through my fingertips, the golden colour shining in the low light from the bedside lamp. I felt an overwhelming sense of contentment.

“No, my beloved. I want it to be a surprise for you. Isabel has hidden it so please don’t think about snooping.” I asked in a whisper, leaning forward to kiss her exposed shoulder blades.

My Ata gave a soft laugh, turning her head to face me. Her action caused her lips to capture mine in a soft, tender kiss. “I love you.” She reminded me.

“I love you too.” I replied instinctively, knowing I would tell her every day from now until my true death that I loved her.

“I want to go and speak to Eric.” She rose to her feet slowly, popping her glass on the bedside table as she padded towards the door. Placing her hairbrush down I followed her to the door, wrapping an arm around her waist for support as I led her across the living area to the other sleeping quarters. I hung back however as Ata approached the door, opting to lean against the doorframe connecting the sleeping quarters to the living area.

Raising her knuckles to the door Ata gave a light knock, and seconds later Eric opened the door, dressed only in his underwear. “I didn’t know it would cause her so much pain, I’m so sorry. I just want you to know that if I had known how long it would have taken, or how much it would have hurt the pair of you, I’d have never allowed it to happen. I hope you can trust me again after this.” Ata spoke, her head dropping a little. I could feel her sadness through the bond, her annoyance that she hadn’t known what the process would entail.

I was caught completely off guard when Eric pulled Ata into his arms, holding her against his solid chest. She was ridged for a moment and I could feel her shock through the bond. She relaxed soon though, her own arms wrapping around his waist. I couldn’t stop my smile at the sight of my Childe and my bonded embracing one another – my little family.

“I still trust you, why wouldn’t I?” Eric asked rhetorically, smoothing her hair down with one of his large hands. The pride was practically pouring off of me and into both bonds. “We asked you to do this for us and you did, so thank you. Besides, you were hurt in the process too. I appreciate it. Sookie appreciates it. You have welcomed us into your home, taught Sookie everything you know so that she can protect herself, expanded my little family, helped us uncover hidden truths and gave Godric a purpose again. I owe you, so don’t think for one moment that I don’t trust you.” He reassured her, continuing to stroke her hair soothingly. I could smell her tears and feel her overwhelming emotions through our bond. I was unable to focus on any one in particular so instead I pushed her some of my strength, hoping she would be able to pull herself under control. Eric dropped a chaste kiss to the top of her head and I was filled with hope – hope that they would accept one another as mother and child, defend one another, fight alongside one another and laugh together. I was aware of how much my Ata wanted a child of her own. I would never be able to give her that though. Knowing that she and Eric might be able to come to some understanding and share a mother and child tie was the next best thing.

Eric’s eyes lifted from the top of Ata’s head and met mine. For the first time in a long while I allowed myself to give my child a proper smile, not an indulgent one or a restrained one, but a full-blown happy one. I was so proud of him. I’d turned him into an emotionless killing machine but now he was clawing back his humanity, embracing it. He’d fallen in love with Sookie, was welcoming the thought of a new family, allowing himself to feel. I’d deprived him of so much in that manner during our time together but knowing that now he was finally having it all made me speechless.

“Sorry I cried all over you, I’m just overcome with emotions.” She gave a weak laugh, causing Eric to look down and offer her a small smile.

“It doesn’t matter at all, just know that everything is fine with us.” He pressed one last chaste kiss to the top of her head before she turned on the spot. Holding my hand out in her direction Ata padded over to me, taking hold of my cold hand in her warm one. Raising her free hand I watched as my beloved gave my Childe a small wave goodnight, which he returned. I couldn’t help but grin.

Together we returned to our bedroom and Ata clambered straight into our bed. Divesting myself of my clothes I joined her, slipping under the soft sheets. “Will you take my blood? You’re very pale, my sweet.” I murmured, moving her hair from her face.

With a nod she agreed and together we sat up. Shifting on the mattress I parted my legs, pulling Ata over to the space between them, her back to my chest, the silk fabric of her nightie rubbing over my exposed skin. Dropping fang I pierced my wrist, offering it out to her. Tentatively she took it, her small hands wrapping around my wrist as she pulled it to her mouth, starting to suck. I felt myself leaning against her, resting my forehead against her shoulder blade as I groaned at the sensation. Feeding Eric and feeding Ata were two completely different things. I had all these paternal feelings when offering Eric my blood, but with Ata my emotions were much stronger, it was taking all my restraint not to throw her down and fuck her. My body was fighting against my mind however.

Turning her head so her eyes met mine, Ata continued to take from my wrist. A light blush crossed her features as she slowly, almost nervously, let her tiny hand creep behind her, grasping me gently. A fleeting groan escaped my roughly parted lips as she started to stroke in time with her pulls on my wrist. It didn’t take long before I was thrown over the edge, shuddering behind her with my release. The combination of her small, warm hand working me into frenzy and the deep pulls she was taking from my wrist was truly exquisite.

As the wound on my wrist sealed over Ata licked the remaining blood away before she licked her lips clean. I was still recovering from my impromptu orgasm as she rose to her feet, a little steadier this time, and disappeared into the bathroom to clean off her back. Returning with a wet cloth she cleaned me up before casting the cloth aside, not even bothering to take it back into the bathroom, before she slipped under the sheets beside me once more.

Scooting down I wrapped her up in my arms, spooning her as she snuggled under the sheets. “That wasn’t fair.” I whispered playfully in her ear, pressing myself to her.

She laughed lightly, the sound beautiful and melodic to my sensitive eardrums. “You can repay me later if you really want to.” She breathed. Her hands took mine, her small fingers lacing with my own as she clutched me tightly. I could feel her exhaustion. She was barely hanging on. I found it strange how exhausted she was. My blood should have stopped her from feeling lethargic. Although I wasn’t aware of what had transpired between Ata and Sookie I was sure she shouldn’t be as dog-tired as she was. Her frame molded perfectly to mine. The fact I was slightly taller meant that I could wrap myself around her, protect her from anything and everything. My arms were locked around her, unrelenting.

“Will you sing me to sleep please?” she asked in a hushed tone. Dropping a kiss to the nape of her neck I tucked the sheets in around us, nuzzling my nose to her shoulder blades before I dropped more kisses there. For a moment I thought about the lullaby I wished to use. I was tempted to use one from my homeland, but something inside of me compelled me to choose one from my beloveds home. Her act of asking for a lullaby all but broke my silent heart. She was vulnerable, that was the only time she had ever asked me to sing to her before, and yet I had no idea why. I couldn’t help her deal with whatever was making her vulnerable. I would ask her at sundown. I needed to know she was alright and why she was so vulnerable.

“This is what we call this Egyptian lullaby. Until you are missed, sleep and close your eyes. While the moon drifts overhead, the pyramids gold and red, ancient beings bred. Sleep and close your eyes as I sing my Egyptian lullaby while I’m sitting here beside your bed, and you close your eyes and rest your head. Then Re will wait until you sleep and leave your fate, your soul to keep. So when you open your young eyes your thoughts will drift, your Ka will fly. Then and only then will appear the sun to shed one sun beamed tear, and you will shout for all to hear that Egypt’s little star has shined.” I spoke softly, brushing my beloveds’ hair from the nape of her neck, which I continued to drop small kisses to every now and then.

Her breathing had evened out, signaling that she had slipped into her slumber. The fae blood in my system would keep me awake for a little while longer. I didn’t feel like stopping, I wanted to carry on and finish the song.

“Then the Sphinx will roar and sand will spout from Egypt’s core, the Pharaoh will come to abhor, my little child, you know no more. So as I sing, softly slumber my little Queen, in rows in numbers gently raise, when the moon fades and the sun away rides. My love you bear is to me true and those who dare split us will soon be ruined. So close your eyes, my little one, until the night is over and done. Sleep little one, close your eyes, as I sing softly my Egyptian lullaby.” I finished, looking down at my beloved who’d shifted and turned over, her face buried in my chest. Wrapping my arms around her back I locked my hands together, not wanting there to be any possibility of Ata moving without a fight. She’d been injured earlier and I was still unsure why, and it drove me to feel far more protective of her than I usually was.

The paleness of her skin had disappeared and in its place sat a healthy golden glow, a reminder of the blood coursing through her veins. She had the blood of two powerful royals, both fae and human, and mine was also thrown into the mix. My blood was in her veins, and hers was in mine. I could feel her. I could feel her blood as it drifted through my veins, caressing its way through my system. Focusing on our bond I felt my own blood sliding through her system too, binding us. I was the darkness and Ata was my sunshine, a light at the end of the tunnel.

With that thought in mind the weak fae blood wore off, and I slipped into my day slumber clutching my bonded to me.

A/N

I researched Ancient Egyptian lullabies for AGES but kept coming up with a blank, however I found this one on Quizilla and I thought it was so beautiful. I want to thank Silvyn246 for it, it’s utterly perfect and so so so beautiful! I thought it was the sort of thing that would have been sung to Ata as a child 🙂

We join Sookie when she wakes the next day in the next chapter guys! 🙂

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3 thoughts on “Ethereal Redemption Chapter 43”

Another amazing chapter, i’ve mentioned before but the pictures lend something to the story which makes it far more indepth and easier to read than the Fanfic copy of it. I’m thrilled it’s been updated so quickly.
I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Best Wishes
P.S- Love the dresses!!!!!

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